Stephen Gaynor School Gazette Winter 2023

GAYNOR GAZETTE

WINTER 2023

Stephen Gaynor School

THE GAYNOR GAZETTE IS PUBLISHED TWICE A YEAR BY:

STEPHEN GAYNOR SCHOOL

148 WEST 90TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10024

T 212.787.7070

WWW.STEPHENGAYNOR.ORG

2022-2023 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Megan Hogan – Chair

Benjamin Hamilton – Vice Chair

Hamburg Tang – Vice Chair

Kristerfor Mastronardi – Treasurer

Jillian Marcus – Secretary

Andrew Bast

Kristine Baxter

Andrew Bilzin

Hillary Blumberg

Lorie Broser

Grant Duers

*Dr. Scott Gaynor – Head of School

Oscar Gil Vollmer

Steven Kobre

Jonathan Neave

Keech Combe Shetty, Trustee and President of Parents’ Association

Katy Williamson

*Ex officio member

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Dr. Mary Fitzpatrick

Jo Ann Gaynor

Gordon Gaynor

Yvette Siegel-Herzog – Co-Founder and Director of Education

GAYNOR ADVISORY COUNCIL

Bill Caleo

Chris Canavan

Cara Chambers

Linda Hsu

Elizabeth Mily

Beth Pristaw

Alyson Organek

Josh Wiener

Editor: Deanna Ferrante

Executive Editor: Megan Bostaph

Photography: Gaynor staff and Da Ping Luo

Editorial Design: We Can Design That

Printing: 44interactive

14

Picture a fencer ready to engage with an opponent: one foot is firmly placed on the ground while stretching forward with their other foot. They must recognize the need to carefully balance themselves with a solid footing while simultaneously extending themselves to take advantage of their position. While this is a key principle of fencing, it is also the founding principle of Stephen Gaynor School’s new strategic plan. This plan is deeply rooted in our mission, seeking to improve our already stellar educational model for teaching students with learning differences. Emerging from the plan are goals that strengthen that foundation while extending our reach so that the elements that make Gaynor unique can be shared with the greater community. Strengthening our core competencies and broadening our reach is the game plan for the next five years and beyond.

As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, it is the perfect time to reflect on the founding principles envisioned by Dr. Miriam Michael and Yvette Siegel-Herzog, and identify growth opportunities. This strategy, or what we like to call a growth mindset, has guided us over the past year in developing our strategic plan for the next five years. Representatives from all of our constituents came together throughout the 2021-2022 school year to identify core competencies that can be leveraged for further improvement and outreach in the community.

Having gone through the planning process numerous times, our school is well equipped to evaluate our program and implement recommendations that enhance our academic offerings. The growth mindset among our school’s leadership and faculty has driven

this continued focus on improving our services. Each summer, teachers and administrators come together to work on aspects of our curriculum to ensure they are meeting our mission and incorporating best practices and advances in the field of education. These enhancements are then rolled out during our twoweek teacher training institute each August for implementation during the school year.

This model has worked well to continue our firm footing and deliver the best program for our current students. The other overarching goal of the strategic plan is to broaden our reach. This entails expanding access as well as improving outreach to the greater community. In order to reach more families, we realized that our current staffing resources are limited. To extend ourselves in this way, we will launch an Office of Outreach and Innovation. For the coming school year, the office will be staffed by a director whose sole responsibility will be to broaden the reach of our school. Our new Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will work closely with the Director of Outreach and Innovation to reach more families and help reduce any barriers to applying to and attending our school. Our new lunch program is just one example of our efforts to make Stephen Gaynor School more accessible to all families.

I am proud of the strategic plan that is rooted in our founding principles while stretching forward to provide access to more students. We are thrilled to share with you our strategic plan in this issue of the Gaynor Gazette. You can read more about the plan on page 26.

DR. SCOTT GAYNOR Head of School

GAYNOR ON GAYNOR

Celebrating Faculty & Staff Milestones

Over the summer, Gaynor held a celebration to honor the following faculty and staff members who reached milestones in their years of service in the 2021-2022 school year. The school is fortunate to have such dedicated and hardworking employees.

30 YEARS

Debra Gulko Adams

Joseph Kaufman

25 YEARS

Scott Gaynor

Yosefa Kizelnik

Christian Meyer

Ruth Rachlin

Mindy Stern

20 YEARS

Carlvin Delfish

Anna Friedman

Donna Logue

Sloan Shapiro

Ariela Weisenberg

15 YEARS

Kate Adlin-Bommarito

Barbara Kider

Joan Persky

Wendy Peters

10 YEARS

Adalake Barnwell

Erika Bentsen

Jody Buckles

Clare Cosentino

Beth Davidoff

Jennifer Eisenberg

Kristi Evans

Cristina Fabricant

Jacquelyn Glazer

Rebecca Jurow

Erica Kasindorf

Robyn Kramer

Matthew LeWinter

Michelle Loewenstein

Brian Russ

5 YEARS

Meredith Akins

Emily Barnes

Aleksandra Berns

Jessica Bienstock

Mollie Book

Zoe Carril

Morgan Conlon

Lana Edelman

Deanna Ferrante

Simona Fertel

Nicole Goldman

Mark Gowie

Mollianne Grady

Sarah Graf

John Greco

Gabrielle Kawalick

Jenna Konstantine

Ellen Lee

Lauren Levenson

Joel Levin

Jeanne Lott

Joyce Macedo

Kristin Paresi

Allison Pearlman

Sari Perrino

Andrew Prasarn

Jessica Ressler

Melanie Rodriguez

Jacqueline Rose

Megan Scanlon

Audrey Schaefer

Amanda Shaw

Jacqueline Smith

Brittany Smith

Chon Smith

Courtney Smotkin

Brendan Stackhouse

Eladio Tejada

Jordan Thaler

Jill Thompson

Alyssa Tucker

Lauren Weiss

Eileen Wu

Clockwise from top left, employees celebrated 30, 25, 20, and 15 years of service.



GAYNOR

From Learning to Leading: Gaynor’s Senior Educator Program

The Senior Educator Program was conceived through Gaynor’s 2017-2021 strategic plan, as a way to retain great educators and develop long-term career paths that support the school’s overall curriculum goals. The three-year program, taught by Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson and Director of Lower Division Donna Logue, covers three areas of study: understanding individual learning differences, curriculum development, and organizational leadership.

The first cohort of the Senior Educator Program graduated in February 2022 and started mentoring novice Gaynor teachers this fall. Mentors and mentees were carefully paired to ensure the new teachers felt welcomed and confident in their new roles by providing them with moral support, guidance on teacher responsibilities, and a primer on “Gaynorization.” The mentors have been instrumental in providing layered support for novice teachers, as well as modeling distributive leadership at Gaynor. Distributive leadership is a style of leadership in which decision-making and problem-solving are shared among team members rather than being concentrated in a single leader or group of leaders.

“Special education schools across the nation have inquired about Stephen Gaynor School’s Senior Educator and Mentor Programs, and this school year, the dream we envisioned to provide layered support to new teachers and distribute leadership opportunities has come to fruition,” Ms. Thompson said.

The second cohort of senior educators graduated in December, and will begin their mentorships in August 2023. This spring, they are collaborating with Gaynor’s leadership team on an audit of the writing curriculum and an analysis of the audit to determine strengths and gaps. This work will lead to a summer curriculum project aimed to evolve Stephen Gaynor School’s continuum of writing skills and content across divisions. Congratulations to our most recent graduates: Erika Bentsen, Mollie Book, Dionne De Lancy, Lindsey Rappaport and Audrey Schaefer!

The Senior Educator Program accepted a new group of educators to the Senior Educator Program this past September: Joyce Macedo, Erin Montgomery, Caroline Sugg and Catherine Thomas. Their anticipated graduation date from the program is June, 2025.

 Back row from left: Dr. Scott Gaynor, Erika Bentsen, Mollie Book, Dionne De Lancy. Front row: Audrey Schaefer, Lindsay Rappaport

 Clockwise from top left: Joyce Macedo, Caroline Sugg, Erin Montgomery, Catherine Thomas

Five Questions With...

Jill Thompson

How would it feel to work in your dream job? Well, you can ask Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson! Despite completing her undergraduate degree in administration of justice, she pivoted to work in education as a more proactive way to support children. She finds her inspiration in Gaynor’s cofounder Yvette Siegel-Herzog and Ms. Siegel’s exceptional perspective on learning and Gaynor’s mission.

We sat down with Jill for the latest installment of our “Five Questions With…” series to learn more about her passion for education and her dedication to the mission of individualized education at Stephen Gaynor School.

Have you always wanted to work in education?

Yes I did. It started when we had a program in my high school where you could volunteer in an early childhood program or in a special education class. I took that opportunity and volunteered in both, and loved them both. I think I knew then that I wanted to be in education but didn't acknowledge it at that point.

What did you do from there, did you go to school for education?

My undergrad was actually administration of justice because I thought I wanted to work with juveniles in the probation system. I did my internship in that, and while I was there I felt that that work was more reactive, and I realized that I wanted to do something with a more proactive approach to supporting young children instead, and that’s what sparked my interest in education.

So then I went back to school and got prerequisites to enter a graduate program for education!

GAYNOR GAZETTE

 Jill Thompson assists a student at an EC Thanksgiving event.

 Jill welcomes families to the 2022 Winter Concert.

How did you find yourself here at Gaynor?

Well, I had been in special education for about 15 years prior to joining Gaynor in July 2016. I was working as the head of school at a special education school in Washington DC, and wanted to move closer to my family who live outside of Philadelphia. I saw this job posted a year before actually applying for the job, and I remember reading it and saying this would be my dream job! But at that point the school that I was a head of school at was a startup school and I didn't feel like it was the right time for me to leave. Then luckily a year later I saw the position for assistant head posted again, and I said, “Oh, this is a sign, it’s my dream job,” and so then decided to apply the second time it was posted.

What keeps you coming back to work every day?

I've worked in several special education settings and I think Gaynor is one that is really true to its mission. A lot of special education schools recognize that education needs to be individualized to really support and unlock each child's potential, but here I feel like we truly are living that mission. Every day, whether it's a teacher meeting or an administrative meeting, we talk about what is best for that child and what that individual child needs in order to continue developing, and I think it's rare that a school is living that mission on a daily basis. So I would say that, and then the dedication of our faculty and the support of our parents that really makes it a unique community to work in. Which not only keeps me coming back every day, but makes me really enjoy the job on a daily basis.

Who or what has been your greatest inspiration or influence?

Oh Yvette Siegel-Herzog, without a doubt. I mean, this school wouldn't exist without her and Mimi Michaels

Going back to one of the previous questions, we really live our mission and what this school was built on is what we talk about every single day, and I think that wouldn't be possible without Yvette. I feel lucky that she started this school, lucky that I was chosen to work at this school and lucky that I continue to be able to hear Yvette's perspective on things. She talks about how learning should be fun for students, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. When you see the students walk in here every day with smiles, you know that what she envisioned and this mission that she designed is really happening, and I think that's so inspirational. Any rare chance I can get to still hear her perspective and inspiration, I always walk away from that reflecting on it and thinking about it more, so I would say she's probably the biggest influence.

She’s incredibly wise, but also knows what is at the heart of it. And like I said, recognizing that children need to have fun when they're learning. It definitely aligns with what I've always believed and that learning can be fun and interactive and engaging and multisensory.

I really do think our students are lucky to be able to get that kind of learning; you see it when you walk in the door and you see them smiling, and I walk through the classrooms and a lot of times they may not even realize they're learning because they are having so much fun. I love seeing that.

What are you up to when you're not at Gaynor?

I have a young daughter, so spending time with my daughter and family. If I found the time I would love to run more; it's rare that I can fit that in. But friends and family are most important to me, so spending time with them outside of school is how I try to prioritize my time.

ATHLETICS UPDATE

Gaynor’s fall interscholastic athletics season was full of excitement and energy, as students came back from summer break eager to work together and compete.

Spectators were allowed back into the gymnasium for volleyball games, allowing families to cheer on the students and show their support for the Gaynor athletics program. The girls volleyball team worked hard against tough opponents, and made a lot of improvements during the season.

Gaynor’s cross country and soccer teams also exhibited hard work and dedication, as they powered through on track and turf. As Soccer Coach Andrew Prasarn said, “Win or lose, it's always about improving. Learning the roles and responsibilities of each position while relying on each other to execute is a big step in this squad's development.” This applies not only to the soccer squads, but to all of the Gaynor athletes this season, as they strengthened their team bonds and most importantly, had fun together.

Go Gators!

Volleyball

Photography: Jon Neave

Every Piece is a Perfect Fit at the Red Cluster Identity Showcase

In November, Red Cluster students took their study of identity out of their classrooms and into the North Building Cafeteria for a very special Identity Showcase.

As part of their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, students explore the concept of “identity” by discussing different aspects that make up a person, such as faith or beliefs, family structure, gender expression, skin color, and interests.

To show what they learned, each student created a puzzle of six different pieces to represent themselves. Once complete, the puzzles were placed in the North Building Cafeteria for the Red Cluster Identity Showcase. Red Cluster students and teachers, as well as Gaynor administrators, staff, and specialists, spent time learning about how their classmates identify their most important characteristics. Students also brought worksheets that asked them to find characteristics that were similar to theirs, different from theirs, and characteristics they wanted to learn more about. For an added twist, each of the puzzles included a QR code that could be scanned with a tablet to see a photo of the student who created the puzzle.

Classroom Projects

EC Peaceful March

For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students in the Hudson and Lexington rooms made signs for a peaceful march inspired by Dr. King. The students walked from the South Building to the North Building lobby, holding up their signs with phrases such as “clean our beaches,” “care about your friends,” and “bring people together,” which they had decorated with markers, paints, pompoms, and other craft supplies. The signs were colorful and displayed great messages!

Diwali

October had students all throughout the school learning about Diwali! Students in the Lower Division even led their own presentations about the holiday. In Room 303, Orange Cluster students learned about Diwali from Nainika Y., who celebrated the holiday with her family and brought in a book for the class to read together, called “Celebrate the World: Diwali.” The students also watched a short video about Diwali’s name as the “Festival of Lights.” In Orange Cluster Room 404, Rohan M. did a presentation explaining special sweets that are eaten during the festival.

Green Cluster Independent Reading Showcase

In preparation for the book fair in December, Ms. Sugg and Ms. Neagle’s Green Cluster class held a showcase of their independent reading book projects to recommend books to the Gaynor community! Students created a visual project and wrote a paragraph about how their project connects to their book and why they chose the scene that they did.

Pink Cluster Firefighters

Students in the Pink Cluster are “Community Helpers in Training.” In October, they took part in firefighter training by helping to put out fires and testing their physical fitness!

R.E.A.D. Therapy Dogs

Students in Ms. Miller and Ms. Ellis's Red Cluster class have been reading to Arrow, a therapy dog. Arrow and her owner Susan participate in the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program, which helps improve children’s reading, communication, and social skills by utilizing registered therapy animals and their human teammate in a calm and relaxing atmosphere.

Students build self-esteem and confidence by reading to Arrow, a patient listener who is calm and non-judgemental. Ms. Miller says, “Arrow is a very good listener!”

Green Cluster Indigenous Peoples’ Day

To honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Green Cluster students in Room 703 learned the Seven Sacred Teachings of love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility, and truth. These teachings are said to be the foundation needed for a healthy and full life according to the Cree people. Students chose a sacred teaching that meant the most to them, and used watercolor to describe ways they demonstrate that teaching in their everyday life.

Fun With Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness, manipulating sounds in language, is a critically important predictor of reading success. As the Red Cluster works on furthering their reading skills, the teachers have found fun ways to keep students engaged and excited.

For example, in Room 202, taught by Head Teacher Jordan Thaler and Assistant Teacher Sophie Nick, the students began a reading lesson with phonological awareness activities to get their minds (and bodies) moving. During this activity, students were tasked with segmenting a word and “jumping out” each sound (e.g., flag = f.l.a.g.). Ms. Thaler would give the student a word, ask them to repeat it, and then they would jump from spot to spot as they worked to sound out the word.

“The colors of the seat spots were those of an Elkonin box, which reminded students to listen for initial (green), medial (yellow), and final (red) sounds. By getting their whole bodies involved, too, I was able to increase engagement and capitalize on a variety of learning styles,” added Ms. Thaler.

As the activity went on, students could choose to challenge themselves, and continue to increase the difficulty level of the words. Some students even wanted to start at “super hard” words like mask or slug, and then go further beyond! This multisensory activity kept students ready to learn, as many of them would wait enthusiastically for their turn, or even try to go twice. The classroom had an air of excitement about it, and after each student finished, they would have a smile and a sense of accomplishment.

GAYNOR

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF COLOR IN ART

Students in Ms. Ressler's photography classes have been using digital tools to create their own colorful masterpieces inspired by the past. The Blue Cluster’s latest project was to create their own version of a 1960s concert poster. Drawing inspiration from the rich collection found in the MoMA’s online catalog, Blue Cluster students created their own modern take on the 60’s concert poster, utilizing digital photo editing tools. Posters were required to communicate all the information a true poster would convey such as venue location and dates.

The Green Cluster has been working on two Greekthemed projects this semester, to coincide with their Social Studies unit on Ancient Greece. For their first project, students sourced images of Ancient Greek

busts and replaced the original faces with their own. The project challenged the students’ editing skills, but the results were impressive! During their second project, students learned about how Ancient Greece and Rome were vibrantly colorful empires, and that what is now white marble was once rich in painted colors. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is currently hosting a traveling show called "Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color." The exhibition highlights scientific methods used to identify ancient color, how color helped convey meaning in antiquity, and how ancient polychromy has been viewed and understood in later periods. Green Cluster students tried their hands at re-imagining and recoloring a statue of their choosing sourced from The Met’s permanent collection.

Shakespeare’s STEAM Rescue

In October, the new Blue Cluster STEAM Fine Arts course had their first major Design Cycle/Open Ended Problem Solving Project. The course, introduced this school year, combines STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) practices with fine arts to create hands-on projects in which the students learn how the five different aspects fit together to develop a final product. Technology instructor Brian Russ was inspired to create this particular project from his desire to use the South Building stairwell, and the incredible story of the rescue of the soccer team who got stuck in a cave in Thailand in 2018.

Students faced three main challenges:

1. Figure out exactly how deep the stairwell is from the ground of the first floor South lobby to the 5th floor landing,

2. Build a way of getting supplies to a theoretically “trapped” Shakespeare figurine without being able to descend any of the stairs themselves,

3. Build a contraption for safely rescuing Shakespeare.

In order to determine the depth of the stairwell, students used different methods including the iPhone’s “Measure” tool, a measuring tape, and lengths of ribbon and string. For each group, the students sent down a “camera” (which was really another student with a laptop) that would report to them.

Once they had determined the depth of the stairwell, the students needed to figure out how they could get supplies down to the Shakespeare figurine. The students built supply baskets out of cardboard that they could lower down to the bottom of the stairwell, as well as made supplies such as food, first aid kits, and water out of Model Magic clay to send down in the basket. The students worked to build their basket so it could hold the supplies without them falling out, which acted as a “trial run” to see how they could improve their design so it would be successful in saving Shakespeare.

4.

Finally, using what they learned from measuring the depth of the stairwell and getting supplies down to Shakespeare, the students worked on creating a device that would successfully rescue the figurine from the bottom of the stairwell. Their final designs were built out of popsicle sticks, and needed to be able to bring Shakespeare up without him falling out. Mr. Russ gave the students free rein on what their designs would look like, so they could utilize their creativity to create unique designs for each team. The students then had a friendly competition to see who could deliver food and supplies and rescue Shakespeare from imminent peril the fastest. Times ranged from 9 minutes to 44 seconds!

This project was not only hands-on, but even got their whole bodies involved, as some teams discovered the fastest way to get Shakespeare up the stairwell was for one student to hold the end of the string connected to their device and spin around, so that the string wound around their body. The winning team used this method!

Since all the teams have successfully rescued Shakespeare, the students finalized the project by critiquing each other’s builds and designs in a reflection/share out. The measurement of the stairwell demonstrated the math aspect of STEAM, the creation of the devices for supplies and rescue demonstrated the science, engineering, and technology aspects, and the creativity put into the device’s designs and the clay supplies demonstrated the art aspect.

X Scan to hear Mr. Russ describe the project.

Art Updates Intermediate/Upper Division

Blue Cluster students in Art Specialist Kara Caroccio's class worked on creating their own art portfolios this semester. The portfolios included portraits and still life drawings. Students aimed to complete their portfolios by the end of the semester, and the art room was a flurry of activity in December as they worked to put the finishing touches on their masterpieces.

The Silver and Green Clusters spent a few weeks creating plaster masks. These masks were made by layering papermache strips onto a plastic mold, then once the plaster had dried, it would be removed from the plastic underneath. Afterwards, they let their imaginations determine the final painted designs, which ranged from realistic faces (including one clown), to abstract patterns, to a wash of gold. The students also created drawings inspired by the dessert painter Wayne Thiebaud, an American painter best known for his still lifes of edible treats such as colorful cakes, slices of pie, and candy.

LOWER SCHOOL

The Lower School spent the last few weeks before break working on art that would be featured during the Winter Concert. The art that the students made connected to the songs that they would be singing during the concert. The Yellow Cluster learned about the street art style of graffiti and then created flower installations for their song, “Here Comes the Sun.” The Red Cluster students learned about abstract art for their art piece, which connected to their song for the concert, “De Colores.” The art piece they created displays the colors of the rainbow through various lines and shapes. For Orange Cluster’s concert art, they brainstormed things that fly and grow, and came up with the idea of a butterfly to connect to the lyrics in their song, “Chase the Wind.” The students collaborated in small groups to come up with

the structure of the butterfly and what the design should be. The students really owned the project and worked among themselves and with their team members to combine design ideas.

New this year is the Yellow Cluster Art Club. Art Club allows students to get more time in the art room and carry out their independent work. Many students have been working on projects that involve structure and construction with mixed media. As Lower School Art Specialist Sophia Saad says, “The art room for the Lower School is a place to help students develop their interest in art, and express themselves through a different lens. We aim to help them build their artistic confidence through art projects, whether they’re independent or guided.”

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

For the past decade, the Technology and Psychology Departments have worked together to implement a digital citizenship curriculum with an eye to staying current on both technology trends and healthy online practices. One key element of this initiative is including parents as partners with the school through the use of technology contracts and evening parent talks.

We sat down with Director of Technology & Operations Matthew LeWinter and Senior Consultant Dr. Clare Cosentino to ask them about the evolution of the digital citizenship curriculum, the partnership between Gaynor and parents, why parents need to pay attention to this issue, and how they can help their children live healthier digital lives.

Tell us about the history of the Digital Citizenship curriculum and parent partnership.

Our need for a digital citizenship curriculum started initially with the Blue Cluster years ago, when we saw a need to attend to students’ digital habits, and how they interacted with technology. The social aspect of the digital world meant that some incidents would occur at home, and would then be brought into the school. The digital world can be a Wild West, and I don’t think parents know how to navigate it well, but the students do. They know better than we do what’s out there.

The technology department has always been responsible for addressing technological issues, but we realized early on that the psychology team really should be there with us to handle the emotional side of these issues, and the partnership just formed. We started with reactive lessons, to issues that we had heard about or were made known to us, and then we started being more intentional about

it. Over time, we expanded to the younger clusters, and we now have digital citizenship from the EC through Blue Cluster in age-appropriate shapes and forms. In the EC it could be about what does it mean to be a citizen, and being cooperative, and then up into Blue Cluster, we're really talking about some more intense and personal subject matter.

We started a yearly presentation for parents nearly ten years ago because we saw that students were navigating a landscape in which they could stumble upon things that they had no boundaries, no understanding, and no responsible behavioral repertoire to navigate, and that we needed to teach them skills. Then at the same time, because so much of this went on outside of school, we needed to partner with parents because parents needed to understand what we all were really up against. As educators, we wanted to teach them what this landscape looked like, what their role is, and how we could work together because we can't do this alone.

Mr. LeWinter

Dr. Cosentino

What

Mr. LeWinter

At the beginning of the year we have an acceptable use policy for the school that usually the older students read through. It's more of a contract, and there's a lot of discussion about what are contracts and how to read them. Mr. Russ or Mr. Levin will go through line by line and talk about expectations. For the younger clusters there are also charters or contracts, so there's always a lot of discussion when it comes to how we're going to use technology here at Gaynor, but also in life. The actual curriculum is usually around 2-8 weeks total, where the technology teacher/integrator will go in with part of the psychology team and be in the classroom and there’ll be different topics of discussion. And they're partnering because while it may be the tech teacher that starts it off, it's inevitable that there are some feelings and some heavy discussion that will go on, and that's when the psychology team is really helpful.

Dr. Cosentino

We're in the classrooms together for the digital citizenship component of the tech curriculum, which has been wonderful.

Mr. LeWinter

Yes, exactly. Additionally, this past summer we rewrote the whole technology curriculum and part of it was revamping the digital citizenship aspect, and creating more lessons to send home with the older students. That

partnership connection also happens when there are discussion points with parents. For example, we had one that was a game and it would ask questions like, if you get an uncomfortable text, what do you do? And both the student and the parent would write their answers down, so we wanted the parents to be involved, and we're doing that more and more.

Why is a home-school partnership important?

As a parent of a 10 year old, I'm seeing that if there is not attention paid to digital practices at home, it can really go off the rails quickly. So I think that a lot of parents in their busy lives don't necessarily have the initial time to focus and think about it, and so at Gaynor we help them with some tips and some thoughtfulness around what's really going on out there. We're focused on different applications, and the different issues that parents should really keep an eye on, and provide guidance for parents.

does the current Digital Citizenship program look like?

Mr. LeWinter

As educators, we’re really hyper focused on what's happening, so I think that has really been helpful, and it's honestly been helpful for me in my personal life.

I agree. One of the things we as the psychology team love about working with the technology team is that they have a much better nuts and bolts understanding of devices and parental controls. They understand aspects of the landscape more than we do, but then we can come in and kind of give guidance from a psychological perspective, and also guide classroom discussions where we might stumble upon some very sensitive information. We work very closely together to support each other as teams and then also to bring this information to the parent body and to help them understand not only from a technological point of view, but also from a psychological and developmental point of view, how to best manage this major situation for our children.

guidance is helpful for parents because there's a lot out there and it's not always easy to find. Another thing that I think has been great about this program is that we really emphasize to the students that Gaynor is a safe place for them to talk about what they need to. When dealing with the digital landscape, there can be some uncomfortable moments that occur, and we want to make sure that students can approach any faculty or staff member here and talk about it. Maybe they don't feel comfortable talking about it at home, so that's where that partnership between Gaynor and parents also comes into play. And I think that we've been successful at that because I do find that the kids are very forthcoming and honest with us when it comes to their feelings about if they felt like they were being bullied or they're just not comfortable with what’s happening online, and that's been helpful with addressing issues.

How can parents set healthy boundaries while also trying to keep their children safe?

A lot of what we do in the yearly presentation is give parents tips on what they can do at home whether it's parental controls or setting time limits, and I think that

That's the end goal right there. That's what we're looking to do. It's all about having the students be in alignment with

Mr. LeWinter

Dr. Cosentino

Mr. LeWinter

the parents. We always talk about not being punitive, and having a discussion about digital citizenship. An example I gave during this most recent talk was about the family contract and that before giving a student technology, a phone or a laptop or whatever it may be, to have that discussion and then discuss parameters around screen time, usage, appropriateness, and potential repercussions and things like that. It’s best to start early, but if not, you can always reset.

We like to start through the lens of wellness and really examine what is a healthy 24-hour day in a child's life when you balance sleeping, eating, peer time, and homework and school, and then thinking where does technology fit into that? And having proactive conversations as opposed to reactive, so that before you buy that device, before you buy that smartphone, you set out the ground rules and say that their use of technology is not a private matter yet. Parents might say to their children, “You're at this age where part of our job is to monitor and to help you understand how to communicate in this new way. And that at your age these are not appropriate sites to go to or these are not appropriate social media platforms.” But parents need to talk about that before they hand the device over so it's a conversation with expectations and ground rules that everybody agrees upon. And then you go from there. So we are all about being proactive rather than being in the moment and then becoming overwhelmed, and still allowing ourselves the grace to realize that perhaps we’ve given too much latitude — we have to pull back, and here's why.

Having those proactive conversations and the explanation as to why parents need to be involved is going to be helpful to them in their learning, but so is the recognition that they may sometimes feel that their privacy, depending on their age, is being infringed upon. But those are conversations to have, because I think at the end of the day it's the communication and the cultivation of trust in the parent-child relationship that is going to make it more likely that your child will come to you when something is awry. Certainly that trust and that open communication is something we try to build at Gaynor, so there's someone a student can go to if they are feeling over their head so they don't have to navigate that alone.

What are some first steps parents can take at home?

Mr. LeWinter

First of all, I would say set expectations. If you want to give your child a device, then have that discussion and let the student or the child know that you are monitoring it and you have every right to do so.

Dr. Cosentino

Dr. Cosentino

Spreading the Love at Day of Service

On January 29, over 400 members of the Stephen Gaynor School community gathered in the Performing Arts Center for the second-ever in-person Day of Service. Students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff created over 1,000 greeting cards for the clients of God’s Love We Deliver, a non-sectarian, nonprofit organization in New York City dedicated to preparing and delivering nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. The Day of Service was just the start to a week of volunteering at the God’s Love kitchen in SoHo.

Wherefore Art Thou, Blue Cluster?

Stephen Gaynor School began an educational partnership with New Victory Theater this year. Students participated in a drama workshop taught by Teaching Artists from the New Victory Theater and then went to see The Acting Company’s production of Romeo and Juliet on November 9. New Victory

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is a cultural nonprofit dedicated to empowering artists, educators and families through the performing arts. New Victory opens new worlds for Pre-K to 12th grade students, teachers, and school communities in New York City and beyond through extraordinary performances and extensive education and engagement

programs both online and in its historic Times Square theater.

Gaynor Drama Specialist Meredith Akins took the Blue Cluster to see an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. This contemporary take on the classic play included break dancing, stage combat, and hip-hop. The adaptation

was put on by The Acting Company, known for launching the careers of Patti LuPone, Kelley Curran, Jeffrey Wright and many others. The Acting Company has been called the “major touring classical theater in the United States” by The New York Times, and stages work from Shakespeare to Stoppard for 25,000 theatergoers annually. After the show, students attended a talkback and were able to ask the actors in Romeo and Juliet questions about the creative process.

Before seeing the show, New Victory Theater Teaching Artists came to Gaynor to facilitate a preshow workshop to help students understand the themes in the show.

Teaching Artists are performers who are also educators, and they draw on their professional experience to engage the students. The Blue Cluster was split into three groups, forming a total of three workshops; one in the North Cafeteria, one in the South Cafeteria, and the third in the Performing Arts Center. During the workshops, students learned Shakespearean insults, created tableaux, learned breakdancing, and faced off against each other in “duels.” The students put together a sentence of Shakespearean insults compiled from words provided by the Teaching Artists. A favorite insult was, “you saucy, onion-eyed apple!”

The tableaux, or “frozen pictures”, were based on the keywords of hate, revenge, love, and sadness. In one workshop, the students created their tableau in groups, and brainstormed the scene they wanted to create together. In the other workshops, the students posed by themselves or in pairs, producing a wide array of poses. This activity helped the students become more comfortable with expressing themselves through

movement, which would be key for the next activity.

The students then learned a retro break dance move called the “Top Rock.” For the final part of the workshop, all three activities were combined together. The students in each workshop were split into two groups, to mimic the families of Romeo and Juliet, the Montagues and the Capulets. They then “dueled” each other, by first performing their newly learned breakdancing skills, then posing in one of the previous tableau themes and yelling a Shakespearean insult at the other team. The Teaching Artists wrapped up the workshop by

asking students what they’d learned, and how they thought it might relate to the production of Romeo and Juliet they were going to see. The workshops were a great way for the students to experience theater by incorporating dancing, positioning, and acting into one session, and got them to look forward to the show! Ms. Akins said, “It was our first time since 2018 having Teaching Artists come to Stephen Gaynor School, and the students had a lot of fun learning and performing their new skills for each other. Thank you to the Teaching Artists and New Victory Theater for partnering with us and giving our students this opportunity!”

DRAMA

CONCERTS

For their Winter Concert performances this year, students from the Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow and Silver Clusters sang a catalog of uplifting and empowering songs to send a positive message of joy and love to their audience. The Early Childhood Division had their own Winter Showcase, and performed the adorable Three Piggy Opera featuring student-created set pieces of houses made of straw, brick, and sticks.

STRATEGIC PLAN 2022-2027: Strengthening Our Core Competencies and Broadening Our Reach

This fall, the Stephen Gaynor School Board of Trustees approved the strategic plan for 2022-2027. The plan is the culmination of a year’s work by over 40 members of the Gaynor community, including faculty, staff, parents, trustees, grandparents, former parents, and alumni.

Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor said, “In this 60th anniversary year for the school I can think of no better way to honor the legacy of our co-founders Dr. Miriam Michael and Yvette Siegel-Herzog than to imagine the possibilities for our progress and improvement.” He continued, “Over the course of a year the strategic planning team, led by Trustee Andy Bast and Director of Communications Deanna Ferrante, carefully reviewed many facets of the school’s curriculum and programming and thoughtfully recommended goals and initiatives that will elevate our work and mission and strengthen our leadership role in the world of special education.”

The participants were tasked with reviewing the current state of the school, including strengths and perceived areas of improvement, and then creating a roadmap to guide the school over the next five years.

The consensus from the review was that Gaynor is a high functioning institution that does an excellent job of educating children with learning differences.

The strategic planning team was divided into four subcommittees: Faculty and Staff (co-chaired by Trustee Kristy Baxter and Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson), Students (co-chaired by Trustee Keech Combe-Shetty and Director of Lower Division Donna Logue), Families (co-chaired by Trustee Jillian Marcus and then-Director of Admissions Juliana May), and Board of Trustees (co-chaired by Trustee Benjamin Hamilton and Chief Financial Officer Ellen Lee). Board Chair Megan Hogan provided guidance throughout the process, ensuring that the goals of the plan aligned with the board’s priorities, and Assistant Director of Advancement Emily Barnes was a key member of the steering committee.

After reviewing the goals and themes developed over the planning process, the steering committee and subcommittee chairs identified the overarching themes to include:

• Elevating the instructional practices of classroom teachers

• Focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Focusing on employee retention and recruitment

• Leveraging expertise in executive functioning

• Encouraging robust parent engagement

• Expanding outreach to the community

• Broadening the enrollment pipeline

• Growing the endowment

The steering committee determined that goals fell within two main categories: strengthening our core competencies in curriculum development and teaching excellence, and broadening Gaynor’s reach to a wider and more diverse audience.

Strengthening Core Competencies

At Gaynor, the child is at the center of all curriculum development and professional learning. The school is also dedicated to creating and maintaining a community of belonging in which everyone’s identity is valued, respected and heard. The strategic plan will support the professional development of faculty to ensure that each child receives an individualized program tailored to their learning style and needs, and will address the need to include DEI goals across the curriculum.

Goal 1 is Enhancing the Curriculum. Students learn best when they experience a consistent, comprehensive educational environment throughout their tenure at Gaynor. The next five years will see a continuation of the work begun in the previous strategic plan on creating and implementing a school-wide scope and sequence in all subjects which includes a continuum of general skills and academic content. This five-year plan will focus on writing, social studies/history, and informational skills. A key element will be ensuring that the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded throughout the curriculum.

Goal 2, Elevating the Instructional Practices of Our Teaching Faculty, builds upon the co-lead teaching model piloted in 2020-2021. Over the coming years, school leadership will prepare faculty for an expansion of the co-lead model by identifying co-lead teams and providing professional development, team planning, and coverage systems.

Goal 3 focuses on Enriching Social-Emotional Learning. Over the course of five years, all students will gain a foundation in social emotional tools and strategies that promote a healthy self-concept, problem solving skills, and a collaborative learning community. This will also help prepare students to be engaged global citizens.

Broadening Our Reach

Stephen Gaynor School is a recognized and respected leader in special education. Our curriculum is designed to unlock each child’s potential and to address who each child is as a unique learner. Over the next five years, we will undertake several initiatives designed to broaden our reach to prospective families, faculty and staff, and the wider community.

Goal 1, Expanding Employee Recruitment and Retention, will focus on collecting and examining data to quantify employee satisfaction and identify measurements for retention, recruitment, and the restructuring of resources, as well as to recruit more diverse faculty and staff.

Expanding Access, Equity, and Belonging is the theme of Goal 2. Over the next five years, the school will examine opportunities to expand access, equity and a sense of belonging in all areas of a family’s experience at Gaynor, with a focus on reducing barriers to application and engagement.

Goal 3 focuses on Developing Strength in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The school will evaluate the ways in which Gaynor can create and maintain a community of belonging and then implement consistent DEI standards.

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Goal 4 is Onboarding New Families and Engaging Alumni Families. A key initiative will be to develop a formal onboarding process that fully encompasses each family’s needs. Other initiatives include developing programming for Gaynor alumni and their parents and formalizing the Gaynor alumni internship program.

Helping parents stay current with important topics relevant to their children’s education is the theme of Goal 5, Creating and Implementing a Parent Education Curriculum. The goal is to create, formalize, and communicate a comprehensive parent education curriculum and toolkit based on current educational offerings and needs, and to highlight the courses and workshops that all Gaynor families should take.

A review of all of the SMART goals made clear the importance of comprehensive outreach. Goal 6, Improving Outreach in the Greater Community, addresses this need. There are families who may never become part of the Gaynor community through matriculation, but who could benefit from the school’s expertise and experience. Over the next five years, the school plans to define the roles and responsibilities of a new Office of Outreach and Innovation which would be tasked with finding opportunities to extend our faculty’s professional expertise as well as the school’s reputation as a leader in the field.

Finally, Goal 7 focuses on the Board of Trustees: Increasing Trustee Visibility and Community Engagement. The next five years will see an analysis of the composition of our community and outreach initiatives in order to facilitate a more diverse Board of Trustees, with the ultimate goal of helping to build a faculty, staff and student community that better reflects the New York City population. Board leadership will continue to focus on education and tools to increase the board’s awareness of DEI issues. The aim is to increase the visibility of the board, educate the community about the board’s role, and improve broader board connectedness to fundraising and advancement in order to better support these efforts.

Dr. Gaynor said, “This plan is deeply rooted in our mission, seeking to improve upon our already stellar educational model for teaching students with learning differences. Emerging from the plan are goals that strengthen that model and aim to broaden our reach so that the elements that make Gaynor so unique can be shared with the greater community. It is an exciting time for Gaynor, and I look forward to working with our entire community on implementing this plan.”

AUTHOR CHELSEA CLINTON VISITS GAYNOR

Author Chelsea Clinton visited the Purple through Silver Clusters on November 29 to read from two of her books and take questions from the students. Clinton was invited to Gaynor by the Parents’ Association through a connection with Gaynor parent and Book Fair Committee member Dana Raucher, in conjunction with the Scholastic Book Fair held in December. This year’s Book Fair Chairs Samantha Regan and Katy Williamson welcomed Clinton to Stephen Gaynor School’s Performing Arts Center and introduced her to her attentive audience.

Chelsea Clinton is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and the Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, where she works on many initiatives, including those that help empower the next generation of leaders. Her latest book, published in September 2022, is Welcome to the Big Kids Club: What Every Older Sibling Needs to Know!

Clinton read She Persisted Around the World to the Yellow and Silver Clusters. The book profiles thirteen women from around the world who didn’t take no for an answer, and who were determined to change the world and the status quo for women. The students were enthralled by the women who were profiled, and also by the beautiful illustrations accompanying the text.

The younger students were treated to a reading of Don’t Let Them Disappear: 12 Endangered Species Across the Globe. The book introduces young readers to a selection of endangered animals, sharing what makes them special, and also what threatens them. The students were fascinated by the vignettes about each animal, and peppered Clinton with questions that revealed her deep knowledge and love of the animal kingdom.

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 Author Chelsea Clinton joined the Purple through Silver Clusters in the PAC for a group photo.

“FOCUSED” ON AUTHOR ALYSON GERBER

Author Alyson Gerber returned to Gaynor on December 6 to speak with the Green and Blue Clusters about her path to becoming a published author and the lessons she learned along the way. Gerber last visited Gaynor in 2019. Gerber’s novels resonate with Gaynor students, particularly Focused, which tells the story of a girl with ADHD who is hyper-focused on chess.

Gerber is the author of criticallyacclaimed novels Taking Up Space, Focused, and Braced, published by Scholastic. Her books have a total of five starred reviews among them, have been nominated for ten state book awards, are all Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections, and have been picked as Best Books

of the Year by many publications, including The Today Show and Kirkus Reviews.

Gerber herself was diagnosed with ADHD as a young adult, and as she began her talk, told the students, “There’s something really special about these visits [to Gaynor] for me,” since the student population at Gaynor includes those with language-based learning differences such as ADHD and dyslexia.

Gerber related the issues she faced growing up, from behavioral issues in the classroom (due to undiagnosed ADHD) to scoliosis severe enough that it required wearing a back brace 23 hours a day, 7 days a week, for several years.

One piece of advice Gerber gave the students was that if something is really difficult for them or they are going through a hard time, that they should validate those feelings. Even if the adults in their lives are not seeing the world as they experience it, that their feelings have worth and are true to them.

After her lecture, students lined up to have their books signed by the author. She spent time with each of them individually, and the students were visibly grateful and inspired by her words and attention.

 Author Alyson Gerber poses for a selfie with the Green and Blue Clusters.

PA Update: Breakfast My Way

The Parents’ Association sponsored two Breakfast My Way events this fall, one in October, and the second in December. The breakfasts shared an unintentional but fortuitous theme of celebrating the Festival of Lights in different cultures, as October’s event focused on Diwali, and December’s breakfast honored Hanukkah. Breakfast My Way is a wonderful opportunity for the parent community to come together to learn about their fellow parents’ cultures and traditional breakfast foods.

The first Breakfast My Way was hosted by PA president Keech Combe Shetty and Akshay Shetty, parents of Lokaya in the Yellow Cluster. The event took place during Diwali, a Hindu festival of lights, which is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year. Though traditions may vary, the common theme for the holiday is to embrace the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness.

The breakfast featured a menu of traditional Indian food featuring aloo ki sabzi, a traditional Indian potato curry cooked without onion or garlic, with methi paratha, Indian flatbread with wheat flour, vegetable oil & fenugreek leaves, brushed with ghee. There was also uttapam, a pancake made with fermented rice lentil batter, with coconut chutney, and masala chai.

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Akshay and Keech gave a few remarks to introduce the event, including a telling of one of the various origin stories of the festival. Akshay then closed his remarks with gratitude towards Gaynor for the school’s rich community, saying, “It's a great moment, a great holiday, a great week to bring people together, bring communities together, to celebrate each other's differences. When I think of Stephen Gaynor School I think it represents what Diwali is.”

Speaking directly to Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor, he added, “You have created this incredible community, this incredible school, and have transformed the lives of so many of our kids. Looking around here, this is what Diwali does. It celebrates this sense of community, this sense of coming together, and this sense of togetherness so thank you, thank you for setting this up, thank you for bringing us together.”

On December 14, parents gathered for the second Breakfast My Way of the year in celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights. The event was hosted by Daniella and Adam Pally, and Sindy Liben, parents and grandparent of Cole in the Silver Cluster, who shared a traditional Jewish bagel breakfast from New York City landmark Barney Greengrass. The mouthwatering spread included bagels and bialys, lox, schmear (a.k.a., cream cheese), jelly donuts, and latkes (potato pancakes).

The Pallys welcomed everyone to the breakfast, with Adam saying, “One of the big things in Jewish culture is a term called ‘fressing,’ which is when you basically catch up with a friend and you eat and you talk about nothing and everything. We are grateful to the entire Gaynor community to let us fress with you; Happy Hanukkah!”

Thank you to both those who have hosted and those who have come to the breakfasts so far this year, and we look forward to more parent events in the future!

 Parents celebrated Diwali in the EC Garden in October, and Hanukkah in the North Cafeteria in December.

WELCOME BACK TO CAMPUS!

We love welcoming our young alumni back to Gaynor!

Our alumni remain connected to Gaynor long after graduation, and come back to campus often to visit their former teachers. This fall, we even welcomed alumni back as volunteers for the Day of Service!

 The Class of 2020 was well represented at the Day of Service in January! Pictured here are Jake Sklar, Justin Johnson, Capes Coulson, and Frankie Lane. Jake is a junior at Berkeley Carroll, Justin is a junior at Churchill, Capes is a sophomore at Grace Church School, and Frankie is a junior at Calhoun School. Justin said one of the things he misses most about Gaynor is the community and the strong relationships he built with his teachers and peers, and this group’s commitment to volunteering at their alma mater is proof of that!

 Members of the Class of 2022 visited Gaynor for a Welcome Back get together in November. Thirty members of last year’s graduating class came back to visit with one another and catch up with their former teachers.

 Holly Rosen ’18, Lucia Dammert Duenas ’19, and Ronan Sennott ’19 also volunteered at Day of Service. Ronan currently attends LREI with Lucia, and has been leading volunteer efforts with God’s Love We Deliver through his school’s community service club. Lucia is the co-leader of the Learning Difference Affinity Club at LREI. Holly is currently a senior at Birch Wathen Lenox School.

 Stella Hirsch ’18 and Aly Ferdinand ’19 visited in January. Stella is a freshman at Temple University, and Aly is currently a senior at Poughkeepsie Day School. When they visited Gaynor in January, Aly said her favorite Gaynor memory was the DC trip, and Stella said she made lifelong friends at Gaynor saying “At Gaynor, it’s school, and you obviously are learning, but you also create a family and every day is so fun.”

 Charlie Keimweiss ’19, came to visit Gaynor in January. He is pictured here with Head Teacher Chris Meyer. Currently a junior at The Browning School, he is president of the debate team and chess club, and is a lawyer on the mock trial team.

ALUMNI INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Over the past several months, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement Tia Murkison has been working on building the Stephen Gaynor School Alumni Internship Program, which aims to launch in September 2023 with the new school year. Gaynor alumni often reach out to former teachers to ask about possible internship opportunities or ways they can volunteer at the school, and eventually the idea of a formal alumni internship program was born. The goal for the program is to have alumni working in select positions in certain departments, and those interested in the program will go through an application process, with a goal of five or six alumni in the program per year.

There are two interns working at Gaynor this year, to test how the program will operate. The first is Isaac Miliband, Class of 2019. Isaac attends Summit High School, and is working in Gaynor’s IT department with Mr. Levin and Mr. Russ, helping with projects for the IT team. The other intern currently at Gaynor is Lena Robinson, Class of 2011. Lena is attending Fordham University, completing her masters in teaching in an accelerated master’s program, and has been shadowing various Blue Cluster teachers.

As she is currently studying teaching, Lena is using this opportunity to learn more about what goes into teaching special education.

Ms. Murkison said, “At Gaynor we want to see our alumni succeed. That’s our number one goal. This program allows alumni to come back to the school and peek behind the curtain to see how Gaynor operates from the perspective of someone who is no longer a student here. It encourages alumni to explore career options if they are interested in special education, or to simply engage with their Gaynor community in a unique way.” She continued, “We encourage alumni to come back and learn more about what we do every day at the school, because our work is so important.”

Alumni currently attending either high school or college will be eligible to apply as volunteers or to earn credits towards their education. If there are alumni interested in the program who are unable to be in New York City during the school year, Gaynor will also be accepting internship applications for help with summer camp.

Keeping Students Moving with Sensory Hallways

Over the past several months, Gaynor students have been utilizing sensory hallways at every opportunity.

The goal of each sensory hallway is to provide quick movement opportunities near classrooms, as students learn best when they are able to move periodically throughout the day. These stations, which were created by the Occupational Therapy department, are located throughout both the North and South Buildings, and can be used during transitions or as targeted movement breaks when students are having difficulty focusing or are squirming in their seats.

Teachers are encouraged to use them in conjunction with the RULER program to build student awareness in determining whether the exercises have had a beneficial effect. Before they start their round of activities, the students use a Mood Meter to indicate how they’re feeling. Once they’ve finished the activities, they use the Mood Meter again to see how their mood has changed.

The sensory hallways are a great way for the students to channel their energy into fun activities, improve their mood, and come into the classroom ready to learn!

STEPHEN GAYNOR SCHOOL 148 WEST 90TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10024 WWW.STEPHENGAYNOR.ORG

The Annual Fund is critical to the success of each academic year as it allows Gaynor to carry out its mission and address immediate needs. Your support, combined with the support of hundreds of other parents, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents, faculty/staff and friends, makes a significant impact on the school.

In this 60th anniversary year, please support the Annual Fund!

WHY I SUPPORT GAYNOR’S ANNUAL FUND

The seven years that our son spent at Stephen Gaynor School were the most incredible and transformational years of his life. Our family is still so grateful for how the entire Gaynor community took the time to truly understand our son and hone in on both his strengths and his areas to develop. The teachers gave our son the tools that enabled him to thrive and to build confidence and self-advocacy. He continues to thrive in his current school, and we have the wonderfully talented and dedicated team at Gaynor to thank for his success!”

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— Tracy Hampton Fraser, Past Parent and Former Annual Fund Co-Chair